Folding chair structure



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ATTORNEYS.

Patented ug. 3, 1937 N UNITED STATES FOLDING CHAIR STRUCTURE Joseph A. Erpelding and Lawrence P. Erpelding, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application January 15, 1936, Serial No. 59,196

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a folding chair construction and more especially, it is directed to the combination brace and latch arrangement.

Thechief object of the invention is to provide a simplified brace and latch construction for a folding chair of the collapsible parallelogram type.

The chief feature of the invention consists in cooperative relationship between a brace coniining plate or guide, a cooperating spring structure and release, and the brace associated therewith.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical central section view through a folding chair of a parallelogram, collapsible type, with the parts in chair forming position.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the chair with the parts in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a'view similar to Fig. 1 and with the parts in the collapsed position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central sectional View through the combination brace lock, release and guide showing-'the brace in chair locking position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing the brace and the release member in the initial rei leasing position, preliminary to collapsing or folding of the chair.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 and with the parts in a subsequent position immediately prior to the complete collapse of the chair.

In the drawing I0 indicates two back legs connected by a rear rail II, and the rear legs ID are extended upwardly as at I2. A suitable back structure, herein shown in the form of slats and the like I3, is provided. Another rear rail I4 is pivotally connected as at I5 to the rear legs I0 and straddles the same.

A pair of front legs I6 is connected by a front rail I1 and another rail I8 is pivotally associated as at I 9 with said front legs. vnecting rails 20 is suitably connected at op-posite ends to the rails- I4 and I8.

An L-shaped bracket 2l is suitably secured as at 22 to the forward corner edges and upon the underside of the seat board 23. The flange 24 of the plate 2I supports a pivot 25 that extends through the front leg I6 at the upper corner thereof.

Seat 23 at its rearward corners has secured to it an L-shaped bracket 26 which is pivotally associated as at 21 with a channel shaped mem- A plurality of conber 28 riveted to the rear chair leg as at 29, the two being connected together by the pivot member 21.

The foregoing construction, it will be realized by comparing Figs. 1 and 2, is a parallelogram type, collapsible folding chair. suitably secured to the seat 23 as at 3| is the padded or upholstered covering 32 for the seat. The upper rearward edge of the front leg is rounded as at 33 to permit folding. Between the two pivots I5 and 21, upon the back leg, there is positioned a channel shaped supporting member 34, secured to said leg by the rivet 35. The intermediate portion upon the inner side of the leg supports a pivot 36 by which is pivotally supported one and a flattened end 31 of an arm that extends from said leg upwardly and inwardly toward the central forward portion of the seat, said extended portion being designated by the numeral 38. Another oppositely directed portion 38 is similarly supported but oppositely directed with reference to the other portion 38 and the two elongated portions are connected together at their upper ends by an intermediate portion 39. The aforesaid constitutes a pivotal V-type brace, as it were.

Secured to the underface of the seat and medially and forwardly thereof, is a strap type socket having the two substantially aligned spaced portions 40 and 4I apertured as at 42 for the reception of anchoring screws 43, or the like, whereby the strap is secured to the seat. The strap includes a slight offset portion 44 which is apertured as at. 45 to receive one end 46 of a spring member having a portion 41 positioned at right angles to portion 46 and extending forwardly through the space between the underface of the seat 23 and the additional offset portion 48 of the strap. Portion 41 is a resilient wire which has an inclined portion 49 that extends forwardly and is provided with a half loop 50 which in turn is provided with a half loop 5I, the free end thereof terminating in a portion 52 normally lying parallel to portion 41 and provided with a circular formation 53 for facilitating finger grippage.

Portion 48 of the strap terminates in a downwardly directed portion 54 united by a curved portion 55 to a parallel and upwardly directed portion 56, in turn connected with portion 40. This forms a groove or trough for the seating of the intermediate portion 39 of the V-shaped brace. Portion 54-55-56 and a considerable portion of the portion 48 of the socket or strap construction, are medially slotted as at 51 to permit the wire portions 50--5I and 52 as well as a slight portion of portion 49, to pass through the end of the strap. The resulting structure is a combination brace lock and release of extremely simple form and of positive character. As shown in Fig. 4, the parts are held in locked position by the spring portion 49.

In order to fold the chair, the portion 53 is engaged and drawntoward the seat which elevates the portion of the spring associated therewith and removes the portion 49 from the slot 57 in portion 48 and serves to elevate the intermedi- 'ate portion 39 out of the groove formed by the portions 54, E5 and 5,6 of the strap. Then as soon as the portion 39 has cleared the groove in the strap, upward movement of the front of the chair seat occasioned by slight upward pressure on the portion 53 will cause the seat to be folded upwardly and rearwardly, the front legs in turn folding downwardly and rearwardly relative tothe back. In this folding movement, the portion 39 moves toward the rear portion 42 and near the end of the movement is entirely freed from engagement with the spring portion 49 so that the spring member 41-49 normally reseats Vin the strap slot.

' bearing thereon.

Upon the unfolding or extending movement, the reverse arrangement is obtained. As the seat swings forwardly and downwardly, portion 39 engages the inclined portion 49 and forces the spring to withdraw from theslot 51 in the portion 48 and causes said portion 49 to lie substantially as shown in Fig. 6, until the portion 39 has passed beyond the extreme forward edge of portion 4B of the strap and is then free from When that occurs, spring 49 immediately becomes operative and tends to force member 39into the groove of the strap. When that occurs, the member 39 is locked in the groove and preventedv from escapement until such time as the spring member is forcibly releasedthrough movement of portion 53 toward the seat.

The invention has been set forth in "considerable detail in the foregoing specification but it is to be understood that the parallelogram type of folding chair is old and well known in the art and that the V-type brace is similarly oldv and well known inthe art, and that'the invention relates more particularly vto the lock andY release arrangement for the bracel structure, and such detailed description is to-be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The invention claimed is:-

1. In a folding support having two spaced ends and an intermediate structure having opposite sides hingedly connected thereto, the combination with a one piece, V-like brace means pivotally supportedA at its ends upon one end and extending upwardly toward the opposite end and its` midportion having operative connection with the-intermediate structure near thesaid opposite end, and an elongated member providing a'socket secured to the intermediate structure; in which socket the vrnidportion of the V-like brace means is permanently retained, the socket having a communicating depending groove positioned closest to the said opposite end, of a one-hand releasable brace locking device having at one end a manually engageable portion available immediately adjacent said opposite end spaced from the adjacent side of the intermediate structure, an intermediate kinked portion, locking the midportion of the brace in the groove, and its other end operatively connected to the intermediate structure, simultaneous gripping and movement of said structure and the device securing initial brace means release from the locking device and brace means movement from the groove and subsequent folding of the support.

2. A structure as defined by claim 1, characterized by the one hand release locking device including a unitary spring having an anchoring portion at one end, an elongated cam portion inclined thereto, a U-shaped, V-brace seating, portion connected thereto, and an opposite end projecting therefrom oppositely from the cam portion and adapted for manual engagement and positioned immediately adjacent the adjacent edge of the intermediatev structure.

3. In combination, a support, an elongated member having two ends anchored thereto, a portion therebetween offset from the support and forming a, V-brace retainer portion, and a portion adjacent one end forming a brace seating groove, and an elongated spring having one end portion operatively anchored in the plane of the ends of the member, near the end thereof opposite the groove, another portion extending from the anchored end portion diagonally toward the groove, a U-shape'd portion extending from the diagonal portion. and forming a brace receiving seat and in registration with the groove, and an opposite end portion projecting from the seat portion for manual engagement, the mouth of the seat portion being positioned substantially transverse to the mouth-of the groove forming portion.

e. In combination, a support, an elongated member having twol ends anchored thereto, a portion therebetween offset from the support and forming a V-brace retainer portion, and a portion adjacent one end. forming a brace seating groove, and an elongated spring having one end diagonal portion and forming a brace receivingseat and in registration with the groove, and an opposite end portion projecting from theseat portion for manual engagement, the mouth of the seat portion being positioned substantiallyI transverse to the mouth of the groove forming portion, the elongated member at the grooved portion and the offset portion immediately. ad-

jacent thereto including an elongated slot, and.

the U-shaped extension and the diagonally extending portions' of the spring being movablev in the slot.

JOSEPH. A. ERPELDING. LAWRENCE P. ERPELDING. 

